A Very Crepey New Year

[Cremolafoam]

Will this do ??

They don't really look like this mantelpiece

I love how curtains may express your voting preference. Or not.

And worse, they're growing on me! I'm morphing into the person who has those curtains!!!!!!!

In other news DD1's mocks are ok apart from a U in Latin. Nobody has done well - this is a handpicked cohort who got A* in part one in y9 - and the school needs to tackle this urgently.

Seriously I don't think they are bad. Just put some bright, possibly bejewelled, cushions on the chairs and it will be grand.

Oh dear re Latin. Is this lovely Ms B? Eek. Still time to turn it round, though.

Like this?

Ms F. Ms B is on the case.

Yes. Looks much less matchy and deliberate. Cat looks cosy and rug ace.

DP says patiently we should try moving the sofa in front

Thank you for being with me at this major crisis in my life

MI, the interior design challenge is not as bad as you think. The chair plus curtain combo is fine actually and not too Tory Party HQ at all. I would change the colour of the walls to a searing turquoise or coral to offset the neutrality of the curtains tbh. Then you can bring in some sari silk action as well.

Sorry about the Latin. Even in the olden days ( I know I keep going on about them -it is clearly a yearning for more simple times because of illness) if you could write Flavia et Sextus in Horta sunt and decline the verb amare, you could get a C+. Definitely a teacher related situation.

Herbs, hope today is as easy as sliding off a plate. BTM, for you too, and hoping you manage a whole day without emergency exit for poor ds.
Monty, sorry dd is causing anxious moments with regards to school return. Hoping it is a storm in teacup Facetwit and all will be revealed and solved quickly.

Beachy, sorry to hear ds is causing scary moments. I love your description of walking in the rain ☔️. If only it was reasonable to do that here, but unfortunately in our neck of the woods rain falls horizontally and as close to ice droplets as possible. Are you glad you are not working Beachy ? I know I would be , if in your shoes.

Cloud, well done on restons to be cheerful 2017version. You are so wonderfully positive. I take proper strength from this.

BD - good on you binning extraneous and unnourishing humans and objets from life. Very therapeutic.
I am doing the opposite at the moment, which is joining in some things that I wouldn't normally do, and phoning some people who dropped from the radar years ago and making them drink coffee with me.
I have been hiding under the radar behind my odd working hours for A Long Time.
Am I the only empty nester Crepey?

Auriga, very excellent writing on the subject of Herbs situation. I am impressed and in awe.

Rose, I can swap you a hair elasticiser for a pur primer if you like?

Hattie, halt!
I would not bet a whole family holiday on Iceland. It could be wonderful, but I'd say only a few days there would do.

Auriga/Herbs I certainly recognise that loss. I was losing mum for at least two years. Rammed home the year she didn't phone on my birthday :(

Crem - I have contacted/emailed/messaged and had nothing back. It makes me feel undervalued and unimportant and plays into my lack of self worth do time to walk away....

Love a bit of turquoise me - changes everything. Your living room looks nice MI. Shame about the Latin grades - I was rubbish at it at school and always envy Mary Beard when she translates rude Roman graffitti.

Ahh Crem so you reckon not 10 days fly drive then. I have to say, much as I love DS - he is cramping my holiday plans by being there and pushing the prices up. Also he will be doing his Adrian Mole in the back of any car we rent!

BD - if no response at all - bin them. I have had people whom I haven't seen for six months and we're very happy to see each other but normally that has been when we've been sucked into stuff and both sides have been incommunicado.

We did 10 days Hatty, mostly driving the southern ring road with a night or two in R at the end. The weather can be awful though - it was quite bad for us - and the accommodation/food etc outside the city was basic (we stayed on a couple of farms and in a YH; I am sure there are more upmarket options if your budget allows but a lot of the country is quite empty!). We all loved the swimming in the rain and the bizarre scenery but our dc were younger and a burger and swimming pool with flumes made them very happy and none of us love sun. If I went again, I would do one of the big-wheeled coach tours into the interior.

BD, good stuff. There are people who drain.

Stropps, hope your course has started/is starting well and that you were able to help dd back on track.

Haha Cremo, I was thinking coral (though turquoise would be probably more tasteful and is one of my favourite colours) for MI's walls with those curtains (which I think are quite nice. Or maybe naice ) I also like the fabric the chairs are covered in but they don't look terribly comfy - wouldn't go down well in our house where everyone lounges on the sofas/floor/chair and beanbag combo

BD, I have friends that I see very rarely (mostly because they live miles away) and are in contact very infrequently (though social media is a great thing), but I don't feel neglected by them. If I did, I wouldn't bother with them any more - you are right to move on. The balls are in their courts. And anyway, you have us When was it you said you might be down next?

Beachy Whilst clearly you need to be at home and on call, I know how draining and purposeless it can feel.

I have had a very full but rewarding day - hope DS has too as I am just about to pick him up!

Re Iceland: I echo Lalsy. We drove right round the whole of the island in two weeks, which necessitated getting two teens up every morning at the crack of dawn, driving manically and then being knackered - and hungry - on arrival. Do not do this, Hatty. There is masses to see in many locations, just don't try to do too much. It is a country of great interest to a geography nerd, ie dh. But of considerable merit also to a horse fanatic, ie me.

Hugs to all, especially those who recently lost their mums. Hope ds is OK, BTM. And yours, Beachy and Rudy. My ds departs today and I will be in an empty nest again.

I have had a sort of all-clear from a very lovely doctor who poked around in my lady parts with an ultrasound, but he wants to do a hysteroscopy just to be sure. I wonder if he is hoping to remove general hysteria while he is in there. He is welcome to try.

Lalsy - I did wonder what would happen if we had to fly drive through the rain. Did you go in August? I do remember a crepy who had driven the entire ring road but cannot remember who it was. To tell the truth - I don't know where to go on holiday in August and I daren't go back to the Holidays Please girl as she probably has me down as a fantasist who's never actually going to book a holiday!

Feeling unreasonably tired today - keep waking too early. Going to slob in front of Silent Witness later on.

X post - Colly it was you!

Colly - I just read the rest of your post - so glad you got the all clear - what a relief.

Hatty, I'm your woman Long or short-haul? 2 weeks max?

Molly, glad it all seemed OK and they are just being very thorough with the follow-up.

Actually I am asking for that post to be removed as it has photos.

Hurrah for your ladyparts, Colly.

I'd love bright walls but no way will DP agree to it! We'll move the sofa and I'm investigating floor cushions too.

I'm finding the pix of your lounge very inviting , MI. Obviously I have very happy memories of sitting in those chairs on various occasions. I'm impressed by other Crepeys' decor skill - I have nothing to add, I'm afraid!

I like your walls too MI.

BTM - I'd like to go somewhere a bit different - have done Europe to death. Have done the canyons and National Parks of Western USA with DH - although DS might like this. I want to hike on the Great Wall but we are waiting a year as it will be cheaper to fly in July and this year we are blocked by student graduations, house moves etc so will be in the UK. Thought Iceland was a good choice but beginning to get cold feet. I am now in total confusion. Also, the DD's are going to moan at us going on exotic holidays the minute they leave home. Your holiday last year to Vietnam looked amazing. Thought about Thailand but it is the wet season in August apparently.